In the build-up to Tuesday's do-or-die fixture at home to Poland, I will be running an England mini-series, looking at the talking points that have haunted the England side's preparations, and looking at their chances going forward. A few weeks ago, I gave my opinion on Greg Dyke's comments that England should be looking to reach the semi-finals of the Euro 2020 competition, and win the World Cup in 2022 in Qatar. This assumes that the groundwork is already in place for England to become a viable winner of trophies, as Spain's 'Golden Age' really began a decade or so previously, with the change of several rules regarding training of youngsters. Using the State of the Game report, as well as evidence from the current England squad and the lower leagues, I will examine just how much creedence can be given to Dyke's claims. I dismissed them a few weeks ago-was I wrong to?
England vs Sheffield. That's how I thought best described the contest on Friday. Montenegro, a country populated by just 600,000 people, around the size of Sheffield, should have posed no threat to England, who outnumber them by 100 to 1. However, such has been the decline of England as a footballing nation over the last half century, we were unsure whether we would have the strength to beat the Montenegrin side. To be fair to the Eastern Europeans, Montenegro were the only country, having played them on two or more occasions, that England had never beaten. The history of the fixture, albeit only relatively recent, seemed to illustrate the difficulty of the task. Everyone will remember the game in Podgorica back in 2011, where Wayne Rooney was sent off in a 2-2 draw, an event that would force the England striker out of the first two Euro 2012 games.
This task was made somewhat more difficult by the additional pressure placed upon the final two matches of the World Cup Qualification Group. Despite remaining undefeated in Group H, England were not assured of qualification for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Too many draws (Poland (a) Ukraine (h&a) and Montenegro (a)) had seen the chasing pack latch onto the 1966 champions, meaning that two wins from their final two matches were required to guarantee qualification. The inconsistency of England, coupled with the aforementioned poor record against the recently formed Montenegrin side (carried by the likes of Mirko Vucinic and Stevan Jovetic) meant that the valuable three points were by no means guaranteed. However, after a slow and methodical first half, England got into their stride to run out comfortable 4-1 winners. This came as a massive relief to all around the ground, and places even more emphasis on tomorrow's game with the Poles.
England, as a footballing nation, tend to leave the public in a constant bipolar state. When we win, everyone proclaims that we are certainties for the World Cup or European Championship. When we lose, the press and the public come down on the team like a ton of bricks. After this weekend's result, I have identified 5 things that we can learn from the Montenegro game, in order to keep our expectations more on an even keel.
1) Don't Get Carried Away
Before I get into the more positive aspects of our play that we can take forward with us into further competitive matches, I will offer a word of warning. Though we have ended the only unbeaten record of any country who has played multiple games against us, this is no time to get ahead of ourselves. We have to refrain from our usual practice of over-hyping that performance. Yes, we played well, but it is important to remember that this was only Montenegro. A side that currently sits in 27th place in the FIFA World Rankings. Whilst this is a good result, it is not one that marks a significant step forward. England should be expecting to beat those around them and slightly ahead. Should they beat Portugal or Chile in a competitive game, then we can say they are moving forwards. However, giving our players an sense of invincibility could have catastrophic effects, in the short term (against Poland tomorrow) or more long term (the World Cup).
2) We Can Be Patient
Friday's game, for one of the first times in my memory, was one in which England were successfully patient. Ordinarily in must-win matches, England come out of the traps quickly, hounding the opposition's area. If we score an early goal, normally, an England win follows. However, should the 20 minute mark come and go without a goal, England's passing begins to become sloppy, and they end up inviting pressure on themselves. The crowd become restless, and this translates onto the pitch. England become more and more frustrated, often resulting in exactly the opposite result of their initial aim. A story we have seen on numerous occasions against smaller nations, particularly at Wembley.
However, the game against Montenegro saw England keep their cool. Despite being unable to break the stubborn wall of Montenegrin defenders in the opening half hour, England remained solid. Though the tempo did dip on occasion, they were never threatened defensively, and they did not let their heads go down. This paid off early in the second half, when Wayne Rooney was given the chance to give the Three Lions the lead. Rarely does he squander such an opportunity. Once the first went in, it was clear that others would follow. That they did, with only a brief scare after Damjanovic deflected in a wayward shot. Nevertheless, the performance showed great maturity from England, and one that I cannot recall be so evident previously.
3) Trust In Young Talent
At Friday lunchtime, the news broke that Spurs's young winger Andros Townsend would start his first game for England. This brought about widespread criticism, myself included, as I did not believe that testing out such an inexperienced player in such an important match would reap the rewards. How wrong was I? The 22 year old thrust the words of his dissenters back down their throats with a superb display from first whistle to last. Working tirelessly to break up the play and put England back on the front foot, the midfielder was excellent creatively when he got the chance, setting up many of our better chances. Having played so well, he capped his debut off with the perfect coup de gras: the goal of the night. With England slightly rocking after Damjanovic's improvised goal to take the lead back to 1, Townsend picked the ball up 25 yards from goal and let fly. The ball flew beyond the Montenegrin keeper to hand England their two-goal cushion back, and ensure that they would take the three points. A stunning debut for the winger, who I doubt could have dreamed of such a start to the season for both club and country.
4) We Have More Than Plan A
Credit must also go to the manager. Having had a turbulent week in the press, after Harry Redknapp's autobiography criticised the selection process of Hodgson, he would have been under intense scrutiny had he failed to win the game against Montenegro. His decision to hand the debut to Andros Townsend was completely vindicated, as was his decision to begin with a extremely positive lineup. Starting with three up front was an extremely risky tactic, and it paid off for Hodgson this time. Though he may not be as fortunate against other opponents, it would be unfair to claim that it was merely luck that saw England through the game. Hodgson is blamed when it may otherwise have been attributed to misfortune, so I see no reason why we should not praise him when it could be described as good fortune. His tactical knowledge enabled him to make small changes at half time, and these changes had an immediate impact. Pressure will remain on the former Fulham man on Tuesday, but his management of the situation on Friday can instil some confidence in his ability to take the team forward.
5) Defensive Partnerships Are Emerging
Finally, whilst this was something that I spotted predominantly during the Ukraine away game, it was clearly evident just how well Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill have got to know each others' games at the heart of the England defence. The understanding between the pair was exceptional, and reminded me of the partnership that a young Rio Ferdinand and John Terry used to provide during the 'Golden Era' of English football. Whilst they are yet to be fully tested, they are certainly showing signs of connection, which will only be good moving forward. Baines also had an outstanding game on the left, and I feel that England have a ready made replacement for the aging Ashley Cole, who is perhaps past his best. The only area that remains of some concern, especially when considering the near future, is the right back position. Whilst Kyle Walker is an excellent attacking prospect, as well as a reasonable defender, the problem comes when attempting to play a more offensive winger (like Andros Townsend) with him on the right. Whilst against opposition like Montenegro this tactic may work, I would expect to see the like of James Milner on the right more often against the stronger sides, as he provides defensive cover for when the young right back bombs forward. Nevertheless, the England defence are finally showing signs of solidarity and stability, and this can only be a positive thing.
England have done, in Hodgson's own words 'half the job'. Having seen off Montenegro, the task does not get any easier. The home match against Poland may seem in England's favour at first glance, but players like Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Blaszczykowski will pose a significant threat to England. No-one wants a repeat performance of Croatia 2007! A win is essential. If we play as we did in the Montenegro game, taking into account the above 5 points, I feel we have enough to win the game. Take our foot off the gas for just a second, however, and we may see our World Cup dreams slip away.
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